Chamber hires new associate director

A lifelong area resident has been hired to fill out the staff at the Chugiak-Eagle River Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber announced last week that Britney Olsen will serve as associate director, the second new hire in a month at the chamber, which in December named Debbie Rinckey its new executive director.

“With the support of the Chamber Members, the new Directors will bring a new energy and innovation while still ensuring that we hold true with a strong sense of tradition,” the chamber said in a press release.

Olsen has a bachelor’s degree in Justice from the University of Alaska Anchorage. For nearly a decade, she has worked as a juvenile justice officer at McLaughlin Youth Center in Anchorage.

“During that time, she has been committed to assisting with holding youth accountable for their behaviors, keeping the public safe and restoring the harm caused to the community,” the chamber said.

The chamber said Olsen brings “a wealth of knowledge in workforce development and community member involvement” and “looks forward to using her unique skills in her new role.”

The hire returns the chamber’s downtown Eagle River office to two full-time paid positions. The chamber had been operating on one position since special events coordinator Merry Braham resigned in October. The following month, executive director Dana Thorp-Patterson announced she was leaving after a year to take a job at an Oregon community college.

In December, the chamber’s board of directors announced it had hired Rinckey — a longtime local resident and active chamber member — to replace Thorp-Patterson.

For more information on the chamber, find them on Facebook, visit the chamber website at cer.org or call (907) 694-4702.

The chamber typically holds membership luncheons the first and third Wednesday of each month at noon at the Eagle River Ale House. Cost is $20 for nonmembers and $15 for members.